About 4 clicks west of Mururu camp in Dande, came across 20 of the most dangerous of all game.







Regards,

Terry

T.Carr
I am not a expert, but they look like live rounds to me.
Bob

Bob,

Yes live rounds. The game scout picked one up and I headed to the other side of the hill.

This area, near the Mozambique border, was one of the major infiltration routes during the bush war.

For those unfamiliar with the Zimbabwe's bush war, here is a short outline.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RHODESIAN BUSH WAR


1. In November of 1965, the Rhodesian Front government led by Ian Smith adopted the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from the United Kingdom. The UN, at the request of the British, imposed sanctions against Rhodesia. Legislation was passed both before and after the UDI by the Rhodesian legislature restricting the political freedom of the African population.

2. In the early 1960’s, several Black Nationalist movements were banned by the Rhodesian government and driven into exile. One of the largest was the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU). Joshua Nkomo, reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and Robert Mugabe led ZAPU. In 1963, Sithole and Mugabe formed the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) after being ousted from ZAPU by Nkomo. In 1964, Nkomo, Sithole and Mugabe were apprehended and jailed.

3. Nkomo’s ZAPU was based in Tanzania. ZAPU was dominated by the Ndebele (Matabele) ethnic group and was backed by the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact along with support from Algeria, Tanzania and Zambia.

4. ZANU was based in Mozambique. ZANU was dominated by the Shona ethnic group of Southern Rhodesia and was backed by China (although it did get some support from Algeria, Tanzania and Zambia).

5. Both ZAPU and ZANU were ideologically Marxist. Both groups, however, remained hostile to one another throughout the conflict.

6. ZAPU, with its Soviet backing, emphasized the formation of conventional military forces to invade Rhodesia. Based in Zambia, Tanzania and Angola, the ZAPU forces accomplished little beyond raids into northern Rhodesia border areas. Its military bases were subject to punishing cross-border raids by the Rhodesian security forces.

7. ZANU established an alliance with the Black Nationalist movement fighting for independence in Mozambique, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) (in Portuguese: Frente para a Liberacao de Mocambique). FRELIMO had, by the early 1970’s, established control over large portions of Northern Mozambique. ZANU used northern Mozambique as staging area for a guerilla style warfare that ultimately proved successful.

8. Mozambique became independent from Portugal in 1975. By then, FRELIMO was strongly backed by Soviet Union through its surrogates in Zambia and Tanzania. The colonial government of Mozambique had been supported by Rhodesia.

9. Rhodesia’s sole ally during this period was South Africa.

10. 1964 to 1972: This period was marked by incursions of ZAPU forces from Zambia into northern Rhodesia. Groups of up to 125 ZAPU forces moved into Rhodesia and were swiftly dealt with by the Rhodesian security forces. ZAPU never did try to gain the active support of Rhodesia’s black population. ZANU, on the other hand, infiltrated small groups and began to organize internal support networks in the black population.

11. 1972-1975: ZANU, from its bases in northern Mozambique, began a series of coordinated small-scale attacks on white farmsteads. The local black population was uncooperative and the Rhodesian security forces were initially unable to stop most of the attacks.

12. The Rhodesian security forces revised their tactics and became quite proficient at counter insurgency warfare. Because of the small white population, limited industrial base and worldwide sanctions, Rhodesia constantly struggled with limited resources.

13. In late 1974, under pressure from the international community and South Africa, the government of Rhodesia was forced into negotiations with ZAPU and ZANU. A ceasefire was announced and senior Black Nationalist leaders were released from jail. Mugabe made his way to Mozambique and forced Sithole out of ZANU.

14. The black population of Rhodesia saw the ceasefire and release of the ZAPU and ZANU leaders (without any substantial concessions by the insurgents) as a sign of weakness. ZANU immediately broke the ceasefire by sending groups of armed insurgents into Rhodesia from Mozambique. When FRELIMO took control of independent Mozambique in 1975, ZANU won a huge propaganda victory and a valuable ally.

15. 1975-1979: The independence of Mozambique, along with the Soviet Union’s increased support to ZANU, allowed ZANU to increase its guerilla activities in Rhodesia. At the same time, ZAPU increased its guerilla activities from its bases in Zambia. South Africa withdrew much of its support (including many of its helicopters) from Rhodesia. Rhodesia’s white population began to show its manpower limitations as military service was extended to two years and whites ages 38-50 were called up. Military expenditures consumed 44% of Rhodesia’s budget.

16. 1979-1980: The final stage of the war was a holding action by the Zimbabwe security forces. A transitional government, led by Bishop Muzorewa, was installed in 1978. This only caused ZAPU and ZANU to increase their guerilla activities in an attempt to discredit Muzorewa’s government. A ceasefire was signed in December 1979. General elections were held in 1980, and Robert Mugabe was elected as president.

Regards,

Terry

Terry,

Thank you for your informative post.

Who was your PH on the hunt?

Greg

Kevin du Boil, funny story teller and loves to hunt buffalo on foot. Probably the best PH I have hunted with (although Rory Muil with Russ Broom Safaris is pretty damn good). Kevin freelanced for years and joined Swainson's full time this season.

du Boil [pronounced "due bwah"]. He's of Irish/English blood and was adopted by a French couple as an infant. Some in Zimbabwe pronounce it due boil (like go boil some water).

He is best known in Zimbabwe as Chikwama (Chee Qwa Mah). Shona for "purse" as he hunted birds as a kid and sold them. He was always walking around with a change purse full of money from selling the birds.

Regards,

Terry

Terry,

I hunted with Lance Nesbitt and Dean Kendal last year also both full tiime Swainsons guys. I enjoyed them very much. And Swainsons is a first class outfitt as well.

Do you have GPS cords on this mortar rounds? I'd like very much to avoid that area next time I'm hunting the Dande.

Terry,

Perfect for use as a sighting-in target--as long as your zero is a few hundred yards, minimum.

What does taxidermy cost on those things??!!

quote:

Originally posted by Irish Paul:
What does taxidermy cost on those things??!!

. . . "all a man has, and all he's ever gonna have."
Clint Eastwood, "Unforgiven"

We met Lance on several occassions, seemed like a really nice guy. Never met Dean. I gave the GPS coordinates to Kevin and the military is supposed to go in take care of the mortars.

We heard that another arms cache had been found a few years earlier in a cave. It had mortars and ammunition.

Regards,

Terry

quote:

Originally posted by T.Carr:

Yes live rounds. The game scout picked one up and I headed to the other side of the hill.

Terry:

I hope this statement is not chronologically correct.

In such situations, should they happen again, make sure you head to the other side of the hill AND ARE THERE "before" the game scout even so much as touches, let alone "moves," said UXO.

It's just like I read in a porta-potty in Iraq:

Dumb Guy wrote: "Let's nuke this place and go home"

Smart Guy wrote: "No, let's go home and THEN nuke this place."

It's always good to follow established protocols in such matters.

Russ

Russ,

Believe me, if I had known the game scout was going to pick one up, I would have stayed in America. The PH jumped his ass for picking it up.

Let me tell how you how stupid (or lucky) we were. We spotted the mortar rounds and counted 18 of them. I got a few pics and Carol and I went to the other side of the hill - just in case one of them blew up.

Later the PH said that there were 20 mortar rounds. 2 were almost completely buried and we had actually walked on them.

Regards,

Terry

What you should have done is, very carefully pile a lot of fire wood on top of them and set it on fire, then go to the other side of the hill! The next poor soul who stumbles onto this cache may not know not to touch them, just like your Gamescout! The fire would set them off after a long heating. Too bad they weren't in that little cave I see behind them. They would have been easy to take care of with fire, containing them in the rocks!

Just wondering, how many others have come across similar situations and in what African countries?

quote:

Originally posted by T.Carr:
Later the PH said that there were 20 mortar rounds. 2 were almost completely buried and we had actually walked on them.

We had a moron civilian (as opposed to non-moron civilians), back during the Desert Shield/Storm days, here at Rock Island Arsenal, pick up a mortar as a souvenir when he was in Saudi Arabia. Carried it in his lap in the HMMWV.

Driver hit bump. Mortar go "boooooooooom." Driver get messed up. Moron go wherever dead morons go.

Quite a memorial for the imbecile, at the Island.

I'm glad you and your bride didn't set them off by walking over them, Terry.

Russ

Just as a note, Those things can lay out there for a 100 years and still be LIVE. About 6 momths back a Belgian farmer lost the rear tires and a 20 ft or so disk he was pulling behind the tractor. He had hit a British Arty round left from 1914. He was not badly hurt because he was on a big 4x4 tractor. He was out about $7,000. On foot? You can not be too careful. A good friend was killed in Viet Nam
buy a unexploded M-79 Rd. Just incase some might not know.
Gene